Build It and They Will Come

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186 – May, 2022

By Amy Fernandez

This sport is often compared to a big family. Yes, occasionally those sentiments are not so warmhearted, but dog shows have always been our comfort zone. Regardless of the time or place, we instantly understand the dynamics in play as well as recognizing half the people in the crowd. And that part of the deal never changes. Five years, ten years later anyone can walk into a show and instantly feel at home. The recent four-day cluster at Edison, New Jersey proved that beyond a doubt. Although these shows have been off the map for two years, they remain a beloved part of the show season here in the Northeast for a few reasons.

Lourdes Fernandez, president of Bronx Kennel Club, has been part of this package for many years. “Thankfully, the shows were totally uneventful and that’s what every show committee hopes for. The weekend went so well,” she says. Held at the New Jersey Convention Center in Edison, it kicked off Thursday afternoon with five group shows and several specialties that ran to almost midnight. Lourdes added, “Marjorie always gets some foreign judges on the panel, which always makes it interesting. For instance, on Saturday I watched the judge from Switzerland, Laurent Pichard, who is close to all-rounder status over there. He originally came from Cockers, and he did quite a nice job in Setters.”

According to Marjorie Martorella, president and show chairman of New Brunswick Kennel Club, a high-quality judging panel is the key to a show’s success. “I thought the show went great, but I did encounter one problem. Right before the premium list was going to be published, three judges canceled and they were judging in multiple groups, including Carla Molinari from Portugal. The Portuguese breed people really wanted to show to her. Replacing them on such short notice was a challenge, but I was very fortunate to find three all-rounders–Barbara Alderman, Jackie Stacy and Polly Smith.” Now, that’s skilled show management.

Click here to read the complete article
186 – May, 2022

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Posted by AnthonyA on May 17 2022. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.